NAHL alums named to 2016 NHL All-Star Game

January 7, 2016

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is proud to announce that five former players and one current owner have been selected to compete in the 2016 National Hockey League (NHL) All-Star Game. The 2016 Honda NHL All-Star celebration will be held January 30-31 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

 

As part of the new format for the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game, the All-Stars will take part in a three-game tournament, played in a 3-on-3 format, and will feature teams representing each NHL division. In the new format, each division has a roster of six forwards, three defensemen and two goalies. One player from each division was voted onto the team by the fans and will serve as captain. Each All-Star team will have at least one player from every team in its division.

 

The game, to be played Sunday, January 31 will be a 3-on-3 tournament pitting the four divisions against one another in a winner-take-all format. The Atlantic Division will face the Metropolitan Division in one semifinal and the Central Division will face the Pacific Division in the other semifinal. The winners play in the championship game. Games will be 20 minutes in length and will be decided by a shootout if tied after the 20 minutes.

 

Forty players were selected by the NHL and will join the four division captains elected by fans in the 2016 NHL All-Star Fan Vote.  Two of the four captains selected by the fans are NAHL alums Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks (Central) and John Scott of the Arizona Coyotes (Pacific). 

 

Kane played two years in the NAHL for the USNTDP team in 2004-05 and 2005-06, while Scott played in the NAHL for the Chicago Freeze during the 2001-02 season.

 

The other NAHL alumni to be selected to the game include 2008-09 NAHL Rookie of the Year Brandon Saad (Mahoning Valley Phantoms) of the Columbus Blue Jackets (Metropolitan), Tampa Bay Lightning (Atlantic) goalie Ben Bishop (Texas Tornado, NAHL All-Rookie Team 2004-05) and New Jersey Devils (Metropolitan) goalie Cory Schneider (USNTDP, 2003-04).

 

In addition, San Jose Sharks forward Joe Pavelski (Pacific), who is part of the ownership group of the NAHL's Janesville Jets, was also named to the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.

 

Congratulations to all of those players with NAHL ties who were honored!